The Neverland I know
by Moira-Angela Darling
Summary: Good excuses evade me now. I am really sorry about the lack of posting...but here you go...in a few days It will be finished! (my first Pan fic please R&R!)
1. The Neverland I Know

The Neverland I Know  
  
Most Stories start "once upon a time". Well mine doesn't, it starts "once upon a where". See the important thing about Neverland is that it doesn't matter how much time passes, things are always the same. Captain Hook will always be a "codfish", Tinkerbell will always be jealous but sweet, and the lost boys will still be, well, "lost", but happy. And of course Peter Pan will always be the dashing, debonair, young hero. Yet, some things do change, but for the better of course. All it takes is faith and trust! OH! And something I forgot. Dust…yup, just a little bit of pixie dust.  
  
Once upon a where, there was a young boy about the age of 14. How he got to Neverland remains a mystery. But never-the-less he got there all the same. Tinkerbell and he became fast and best friends. You see Peter could leave Neverland anytime he wanted. But, as everyone knows he's the boy that doesn't want to grow up. He traveled through the world and found a few others that didn't want to grow up either. They became known as the lost boys. Of course there were already people living in Neverland, like the Indians, and the Mermaids. And of course there's that scoundrel of a pirate (or should I say codfish) Captain Hook and his crew. So you see Neverland was perfect! It was the best place to grow up—er—not grow up. I wanted to go there since I was a little girl. I was an orphan you see and the oldest and supposedly wisest in the orphanage. I knew all the Peter Pan stories. I told them to the little ones at night when they cried or couldn't sleep. Sometimes I made up songs about him and his adventures. And that's where our story starts…one perfect night when I was 14 years old.  
  
The headmistress of "The London Orphanage for Girls and Boys" was a mean and cruel person. She tried to make our stay as miserable as possible. So it was no wonder when kids got adopted they never came to visit like they promised. But the days, weeks, and years came and went. Some went, some came, and everything was normal, or as normal as normal can possibly be. The little kids in the orphanage came to me when they were scared, or worried, or anything else for that matter. So to calm them down or cheer them up (which ever they needed) I told them stories of a place far away from here. A place where all your wishes and dreams were real! "Like candy trees?" asked one. "And mermaids?" asked another. "Well there's got to be pirates!" said a little boy as a little girl hugged her teddy bear tighter. "Well sure! There's all those things! And a boy named Peter Pan!"  
  
This was the usual nightly routine. They would crowd around my bed and I'd pull the smallest onto the bed with me and tell them stories about Neverland. That night I was telling them about the time Peter cut off Hooks hand and gave it to the Crocodile. (The boys seemed to like that one) Just as the last ones were falling asleep I heard something on the roof. I looked up but kept going with the story, tucking all of them in, in turn. Then I got to Gregory's bed. He was the littlest boy of them all. Only 5 years old. And he said, "Angie?" "Yes Greggie?" I ask. But he nodded off to sleep before he could finish the question. Just as I was about to crawl into my own bed I saw a star. I walked to the window the wood cold on my feet and whispered:  
  
"Star light,  
  
Star bright  
  
First star I see tonight  
  
I wish I may  
  
I wish I might  
  
Grant the wish I wish tonight"  
  
Just as I was thinking of what to wish a saw a face appear in front of me on the outside of the window. I looked long and hard at the face and finally recognized him as, "PETER PAN!" 


	2. Greggie's Turn

Chapter Two  
  
The shock of seeing Peter Pan floating weightlessly outside my window washed over me. Then came a new feeling, joy. I now knew that Neverland really was real! I stared out the window until he gave me a look that purely said, "Are you going to let me in?" I opened the window and he came floating in, without changing his upside-down position. "Hi!" He said in a friendly voice. He was just like I imagined him, tall, reddish hair and dark eyes. His green clothes were trademark of him in my mind and I was surprised to see that they were actually real! His knife dangled at his side and Tinkerbell rested on his right shoulder.  
  
"What's you're name?" he asked while studying my face. "M-m-my name's Angela…Angie for short." I stammered. My heart was pounding. I was bursting with questions. "Why are you here?" I asked quickly, afraid that if I blinked for just a moment he would vanish the minute my eyes closed. "Well to listen to the stories and songs of course!" He thought my question rather silly apparently and laughed to himself. "Don't you read?" he asked still laughing, "The lost boys are still looking for a mother. A mother to tell them stories and sing them songs." "Well I did realize that, but…me?" I wondered out loud. "I can't leave Greggie and the others. Oh, but how I wish to go to Neverland to stay!" Such are the whimsical fantasies of a 14 year old orphan girl. He took an instrument out of his pocket. It was a pan reed. Handing it to me he said. "Here! Try it!" I gently grasped the reed and blew into it. After playing a few notes I got the hang of it. "I like your stories" he said while I was playing softly, "you tell them very well. I'll tell you what. You keep the reed flute and whenever you feel like coming to Neverland with me just give it a blow. I'll be here quicker than you can say 'Hook's a codfish'" his smile was convincing and I shook my head yes. Then Tinkerbell put a bit of pixie dust on the flute and they flew off toward Big Ben the clock. I watched until they were out of site closed the window and silently walked over to a loose floor board and stuck the reed flue under it.  
  
Even after I fell asleep I dreamt of Peter Pan as I usually did. Only this time he and I were flying and crowing together louder than before. And when I awoke I heard a rooster crowing from somewhere far away. I smiled and slipped out of bed. I checked to see if the reeds were still under the board. They were. Then I clapped my head to my forehead and remembered today was an open house for the orphanage and families from all over London would be coming to adopt children today.  
  
I woke up all the children and got them dressed in their finest clothes. Mind you they weren't ball room gowns but they were the best we had. At exactly 9:00 (we could tell by the old cuckoo clock on the wall) Mrs. Fleche came in (she's the headmistress.) "Come on ya brats! On with ya! Don' wantcha stayin' round 'ere more 'n yas need ta!" With that we all marched down to the only decent room in the whole building, the showing room. We marched down the steps all in a row, smallest to tallest, and me carrying Greggie. The room was just bursting with people and Mrs. Fleche was putting on an act for them all. We heard snippets of conversations such as "Yes she's a darling girl" and "oh he's a wonderful boy!" At these we sniggered behind our hands. Almost all of the children in the orphanage get adopted on open house day. One family in particular was looking at me and I hoped that they would adopt me and Greggie. I didn't know if I could part with him. By the end of the day most of the room had cleared out. Only about 15 children remained and about 5 families. The one family that had talked to me was now talking to Mrs. Fleche. With Greggie in my arms, as he had been all day, I moved closer to them to hear what they were saying. "-- the brother and sister." was all that I heard of the conversation. Mrs. Fleche looked slyly my way, grinned an evil grin, looked back at the couple and said. "They aren't brother and sister. They actually can't stand being together. I thought it would be nice if they got along while the prospective parents were here." She sneered. I couldn't believe it! I wanted to say something but then they would know I'd been listening to their conversation. They cast me dark looks and turned their backs towards us so we couldn't hear what they were saying. Then Mrs. Fleche came over to me and took Greggie out of my arms. He struggled and tried to get back to me but couldn't so he started to cry. "—just so happy" I heard. I wanted to cry myself but instead I ran back upstairs and flung myself on Greggie's bed. 


	3. Out and About

Chapter Three:  
  
Out and About  
  
I cried and cried. Not caring that the rest of the kids that weren't adopted today came up too. They cried with me but I didn't care. I loved all these kids, but none more than Greggie. I wanted to get away. I wanted to get far, far away from here. But where? I was hysterical by now and wasn't thinking about what I was doing. I ran to my bed, grabbed all of my belongings from underneath it. This wasn't much, a hair brush, a pack of crayons, some marbles and one pack of gum. Then I ran to the floorboard and pulled out the pan reeds. The other children were watching me but I didn't notice. I was in a hysterical panic. Rushing around like a maniac. I strode down the steps two at a time. Yanked the front door open with a bang and strode out to the London street below.  
  
Now that I was out I just ran. I ran and ran and ran some more but I didn't slow down until I didn't know where I was. Glancing around, I noticed that a large shadow loomed above me. It was late. It was to dark, and there weren't ANY people out. This was unusual because it was a warm summer night. It wasn't until Big Ben actually chimed that I realized that I was right below it.  
  
The deep sound of the bells made the ground shake. Yet they were peaceful in a way. I looked and sure enough the stories were true. There was a little door at the base of the old clock. I walked over to it and pressed my hands against the cold steel door. Then to my surprise it swung open! I didn't actually think that it would be open but my curiosity led me inside and up the steps.  
  
I climbed for what seemed like an hour or so when I finally got to the top. I could see the face of Ben, but backwards and from the inside. The gears churned softly with a slight humming noise. I felt very tired, as if my eyes couldn't stay open anymore. I found a corner of the clock that was not covered in gears, right behind the door, curled up and fell fast asleep.  
  
The next morning I woke up not to Mrs. Fleche yelling but to the chimes of London's most famous clock. I stretched and stood up. Trying to decide what to do know I felt around in my pockets and pulled out the small instrument that Peter Pan gave me not two nights ago. Feeling a need to hear its small reedy voice again I put it up to my lips and blew. In a flash of light I saw something appear…I looked up and saw a grinning Peter standing above me.  
  
"So you've finally decided to come with me?" He chortled. I smiled too…I was just so happy that I wasn't dreaming. Really I hadn't meant to call him back but I was glad I did. "So…are you going to come or what?" He extended his hand to help me off the floor. I guess I was still a little bit woozy from all that running the other night because when I got up I just fell forward onto him. He didn't seem phased, though I was mortified! I couldn't believe that happened. I tried to stand up but fell over again. This time trying not to fall backwards I fell onto my butt. He laughed as he hovered four feet off the ground. In no time at all I felt my self being raised off of the floor and hovering up with Peter.  
  
I suddenly felt free and I didn't feel sick or "woozy" anymore. I darted around the clock tower and suddenly I had this sudden urge to…"Cock-a- doodle-doooooo!!!" I crowed! Peter looked at me with a sudden respect. "You sure can take care of yourself girly! Let's GO!" He took my hand and led me up and up. We flew above fluffy, pink clouds and we even ran into some sparrows! It was the best time of my life. I was finally safe, and I was finally happy. He took me and set me on his back so that I was looking at the sky. We flew and flew some more. Till I realized…we're going! We're really going to Neverland! At that moment me and Peter crowed loudly at exactly the same time, laughed and then I rolled off of his back and raced him the whole way to the clouds of the land of Dreams 


	4. The first encounter

Chapter Four:  
  
The first encounter  
  
When we got to a particularly fluffy cloud we stood on it and gazed at a remarkable island. It was perfect! To the right side was the mermaid lagoon covered with a rainbow, to the left was the Indian village and in the middle of the sea was Captain Hooks Ship. "Duck!" I yelled. Peter was looking the other way but quickly spun around just in time to see the heavy lead cannon ball speeding our way. We both jumped to avoid it. "Ha! Ha! Hook! In the back? Bad form captain!" Peter was eating this up! It almost seemed like he liked being taunted by Hook, that he found it somehow amusing. Oh well, if Peter was going to join the fun so was I! "C'mon ya codfish! Is that all you've got? That's pathetic!" I crowed again and flew in circles to show that we were "sitting ducks". Another cannon ball raced past and again it was very easily avoided. "Ha ha! Let's go!" said Peter. Laughing I followed close behind him. We flew straight to the hideout of the Lost Boys and the Legendary Peter Pan.  
  
The hideout was moved from hangman's tree some time ago because Hook had found it. So now it was in another tree, almost identical to the other. The lack of leaves allowed you to see all of the knots and holes in it. Some vines hung down from the branches. Peter pulled one and a particularly large knot opened. I jumped right in not fearing what was at the bottom, and not knowing that Tinkerbell had already known I was there. I slid down a short way and came out with a sudden "thunk". The lost boys were already surrounding me and then BAM! They attacked! Someone was trying to pull my hair but not succeeding because I have very short hair. Just to my ears. They pulled on my legs and prodded me with pebbles from slingshots. Just then Peter appeared. "OH! Not again! What are you doing?" They didn't seem to notice that their leader had appeared and just kept on attacking me. "ATTENTION!" cried Peter. At once all of the lost boys got in a very unordered line. "What's wrong with you guys? I've tried to bring you someone to tell you stories. Ever since Wendy I've tried to bring someone here and every time you always end up trying to shoot her down, or just attacking her, or even setting traps for her when she first arrives! What a first impression!" He looked down on them scowling and didn't notice that a small ball of light was tinkling like laughter in a small house on the wall. He looked at me then and followed my gaze to the light. "Tinkerbell…Did you do this?…Again?…Why?...That's not a good reason Tink! Fine! Just stay in there!" In between Peter's talking there was a lot of tinkling and what awkwardly sounded like a cuckoo clock. I laughed a little that Tink was already jealous and I'd only been here for a few minutes! Peter took my hand lightly in his and led me out of the hideout.  
  
I wasn't really hurt by the attack but even so, I pulled up on one of the legs of my pants and saw a very nice bruise showing. Peter saw this and cringed, possibly thinking that the lost boys' behavior would run me out of Neverland. I looked at it laughed and dropped my pant leg, gave Peter a reassuring look and then sat down on the beach next to him. (Well above the beach anyway.) After awhile of sitting there in silence Peter looked at me and said "You aren't like the other girls that came here…all the other ones couldn't handle the lost boys or Captain Codfish. You seem to be able to take care of yourself. That's a great thing you know. Not even many grown- ups can do that! I'm very impressed." I blushed a little and then thanked him for the compliment. The sun was setting and I was getting very tired. I lay down on the warm sand and sank into a light yet peaceful sleep. The next thing I knew I was flying. Peter was carrying me in his arms lightly, as if I might break at any sudden movement. The air felt nice on my face and blew my short hair around slightly. Peter looked down and saw that I was awake, smiled and took me to a bed inside the hideout.  
  
The next day the Neverwinds carried me out of the hideout alone for the first time. I wanted to see the island and maybe do some talking with the Indians. Flying is a wonderful feeling. It's as if you have fallen into that wonderful space between sleeping and awake and you are just sitting there happy and content with the world around you. Not a care in the world. It's as if all your worries and troubles float out of your mind with the swirling wind. It was an exhilarating feeling! I had flown for about an hour or so when I spied a cavern I had not seen the day before. I swooped down for a closer look making sure that it wasn't inhabited by anyone…especially Captain James Hook and his crew. When I saw that it wasn't I immediately dropped down inside the gorge.  
  
It was about ten feet up, so I wouldn't be able to climb out if I wanted to. It also looked pretty solid, almost like a prison cell with an open roof. If there hadn't been anything else in the gorge I would have left the intimidating place. But there were two trees and a few plants growing close together in the tight encampment of the gorge. It was about ten paces across what I thought to be the middle. It was then that I noticed that strung between the two trees was a hammock made of one very large leaf. And I also noticed something gleaming from the middle of the gorge that I hadn't seen before.  
  
I walked closer and realized I was looking through what seemed to be a whole in the ground. But what I was seeing couldn't be in Neverland…could it? 


	5. The Portal

A/N: I know I know I know.this has taken me FOREVER to get up! I'm so so so so sorry! Please forgive me? ::Puts on a puppy face:: Well, I'm sorry and so now I'm continuing.don't hate me! Please R&R! Thank you!  
  
Disclaimer: These characters and places are too good to belong to me!!! (except my made up ones of course) (  
  
I sat there, simply amazed at what I saw! I could not believe it! It couldn't be real! It looked like a puddle on the ground, about 10 paces across and about 20 paces around. But it couldn't be a puddle.it looked like a portal. You could see the real world. The world I left behind. The world I was happy to get away from, it seemed as if you could fall right through. It radiated light and color. I was spellbound. Held to the spot, so to speak, watching children around the world. Some were happy, playing with puppies and their families. And some were sad, sitting alone in their dark rooms hugging teddy bears and crying. Then I saw him."GREGGIE!" I cried. He was there too.looking distraught at the sight of his new room. It was a very large room, a room full of toys and a very comfortable looking bed. He was carrying something that I recognized immediately, a very small, very worn teddy bear that I had bought for him last Christmas. I saved all year.not that I got much money of course but when I happened to find a sixpence (which was rare) I kept it in the crayon box that was still in my pocket. I had found that teddy bear and knew that's what I wanted to get for him. He needed something to hug when I wasn't around. He was hugging it now. Close to him crying. If you saw him you'd probably think that he was crazy! There he was in a lavish looking room crying! But I knew that he missed me. I missed him too. I didn't notice at first but Peter had flown out to find me and saw me here. Came down and put his hand on my shoulder. I ripped my eyes away from my Greggie and looked at him. The moment I looked away I noticed a solitary tear running down the right side of my face. Peter saw it and brushed it away. I got to my feet and faced him. "I miss him so much Peter" I said quietly. He only nodded and looked at the ground. "I know," he replied, "I know." I looked away as another tear escaped my eye. "DO NOT CRY!" I screamed to myself. "You do not cry!" It was almost a warning. "Come back with me," said Peter. I nodded and took his hand gently. We flew back to the tree and were greeted by the lost boys. By the time that we had flown back I had gotten control of myself for the moment and was my bright and cheery self when I saw the lost boys. They had apologized to me for the way they acted the previous day. When I got back to the hideout they were waiting for me and as soon as Peter and I slid down one of the secret passageways they were bunched up with Cubby in front holding out a book. It was a very old looking book and dusty as if no one had touched it in several years. I took it and wiped off the cover. It read: The Adventures of Peter and Wendy. I smiled a brilliant smile and sat down on the wooden rocking chair in the corner. As I sat all the lost boys sat around me. I opened the book and started to read. I looked up every so often and once my eyes flickered to the spot where Peter was standing. He was leaning against the wall by the doorway arms crossed and one foot placed casually over the other one smiling. I felt my cheeks flush and kept reading. He was so very handsome. 


End file.
